Cranky
by tvnut014
Summary: Hodgins is cranky due to some lack of sleep... Can Zack make him less... cranky? Zack/Jack- how can rhyming go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**_ Okay, So I'm going to say this right now. This is a fic which involves ZACK and HODGINS together. Now, normally I'm a hardcore B&B fan all the way. But sometimes I need something to fall back on (and I've always thought that Angela dumped Hodgins quite ungracefully!) So Jack/Zack people!! Here we go!_**

**_Rated: Hmm-Let's go with T+... just to be safe_**

**_Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine. HH is the brilliant one who came up with these brilliant characters (is that redundant? Ah, well...)_**

**_Setting: Sometime during the third season. Angela & Hodgins are still together... which is why I have Hodgins seeking an alternative... *raises eyebrow*_**

* * *

Cranky

"Relax, Hodgins. I'm working as quickly as I can here. Besides, I thought you already looked through the pieces of remains for samples." Angela said, annoyed as she drew a curved line on her sketch pad for the outline of a cheekbone.

Hodgins let out air angrily. "Yeah, well, Dr. B and Agent Booth wanted me to look over the skull in case I missed anything. C'mon you were supposed to be done an hour ago! What's taking you so long?"

Angela set down her pencil on her pad. "First of all, Zack only finished recreating the skull an hour ago. And second of all, although this drawing-faces-for-dead-people thing has become a second nature to me, it still takes time."

Hodgins sighed, "Look, I'm sorry for snapping on you-"

"I should hope so." Angela interjected. She picked up her pencil and began to sketch once more.

"It's just, I've worked with Dr. Brennan and Booth long enough that they should know I'm very efficient and I don't miss things often."

"I think that they know that too. I also think that you know that they know, and that's no excuse for snapping on me. It's a really tough case involving a senator. You of all people should realize that there can't be any mistakes." Angela swivelled in her chair to face him. "I know you can work under pressure. In fact, I've seen you do your best work under pressure. So what's up?"

"Look, if I wanted a therapy session, I'd go to Sweets." Hodgins sighed. "Nothing's wrong. I just didn't get enough sleep last night."

"Ooh, not enough sleep, huh? Was a girl involved? 'Cause if there was I will be _extremely_ jealous!" Angela drew her eyebrows together in an attempt to hide the interest that shone in her eyes.

"Ah, you need to finish drawing that face. Like I said, I need to look over it again."

"I'm almost done, anyway. C'mon tell me! I haven't been in a good fight for a long time."

"Uh-"

"Angela, Dr. Brennan was wondering if you were done with the skull yet. She needs Hodgins to go over it once more for particulates." Dr. Zack Addy walked into the room, saving Hodgins from having to give an answer to Angela's question.

"That's what I've been trying to tell her for the last ten minutes! _Excuse me_, if she keeps getting off track." Hodgins glared at her.

"What's his problem?" Zack asked Angela.

"Apparently, he didn't get enough sleep last night. Hey, you live with him. You can tell me if he had someone sleep over."

"I live over his garage," Zack clarified. "I wouldn't be able to tell from my room if there was someone else in his house."

"You're covering for him, I know it! C'mon Zack, tell me!"

"Angela, we need the drawing finished!" Hodgins practically shouted at her.

"Okay, okay, sheesh. You don't need to yell at me. Look Zack, I'm going to be another fifteen minutes. D'you think you can take Mr. Cranky-pants here for awhile and see if you can't get him in a better mood?"

"But I-" Hodgins started.

"I don't want to see you until fifteen minutes are up." Angela got up from her chair and pushed them both from the room. She closed the glass door behind her and waved from inside.

Hodgins glared at her. He sighed and turned to face Zack.

"So I-" He stopped. Zack wasn't there."What _the_-?"

Zack was already part way across the lab.

"Dude, wait up!" He sprinted towards Zack. "Thanks for covering for me back there. I don't think I could've handled her interrogating techniques much longer." Hodgins paused. "I can't believe you lied to Angela!" Hodgins laughed in amazement at his friend.

"Well, I did tell her the truth. I wouldn't have been able to see if there was anyone at your house from the garage." Zack said.

"True, but I know for a fact, you weren't even in the garage last night." Hodgins grinned, his eyebrow raised.

"Just like the way I know a girl wasn't at your place last night?" Zack replied coolly.

"All right, all right. Truce." Hodgins sighed.

Zack opened the storage closet and Hodgins followed him in. The door closed behind him.

"So, why are we in here? What is it that you need?" Hodgins asked as he began to scan the room.

"Although, I lied to Angela before, I'm going to keep my promise to her now. She told me to get you in a better mood. We only have fifteen minutes. We'd better get started." Zack began to tug at Hodgins' belt buckle.

Hodgins' heart leapt into his throat.

"Whoa, there Zack! At work? The last time I suggested that you swore that it would be unprofessional. You were worried-"

"I was concerned that if Dr. Brennan caught us we would lose our jobs. Fortunately, I know that today isn't the case. Dr. Brennan is out in the field with Agent Booth, and I-" Hodgins saw Zack reach back towards the door. There was a faint 'click'. "-have just locked the door."

Hodgins tilted his head in consideration. "Well, then. It seems you have everything planned out then."

Zack took a step towards him. Hodgins took Zack's face in his hands. Their faces were inches apart.

"What would you do if I were to call out for help?" Hodgins whispered. "The security guards would try to break down the door." He pressed his lips to Zack's, hard.

Breathing slightly heavier than normal, Zack replied, "I didn't think that being locked in a closet with me would be such a bad experience for you, that you would need assistance in getting out of the room."

Hodgins smiled slightly. "I was just making sure that you knew what you were getting into. The risks-you'd be taking-I mean- what if- I were to change my mind?" Hodgins said between kisses.

"I'm assuming that wouldn't be the case." Zack gasped lightly as Hodgins' hands moved lower. Much lower. "It wasn't the case last night."

Hodgins grinned. "It won't ever be the case with you." He smiled into the kiss and both of their hands became preoccupied with undoing the buttons on each of their button up shirts.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the two of them emerged from the storage closet looking slightly dishevelled but very satisfied.

"Well, that took longer than I expected." Zack said.

"My, how time flies when you're having fun," Hodgins raised an eyebrow and grinned. Zack smiled back. "We should do this again, sometime." Hodgins said jokingly. He continued. "What're you doing tonight?"

"I'm going home with you. What we do is fairly predetermined," Zack started to walk towards Angela's office." Angela should probably be done with the sketch of our victim."

Hodgins' liked the way Zack had said 'I'm going home with you." Perhaps a bit more than he should have. "So, was that a yes?" Hodgins grabbed Zack's arm to stop him.

Zack turned to face him. "Of course, it's not like I have anything else planned. Or have another ride home."

They both stepped into Angela's office.

"Where were you two? I was done five minutes ago!" Taking in their appearance, both of her eyebrows went up. "What were you two doing?"

"We were doing an experiment."Zack said.

"Yeah, an experiment." Hodgins piped up.

"Riight. An experiment. Well, it was either an experiment or sex. Those are the only two things that can make Hodgins look like that." Angela looked Hodgins up and down. She took in his messed up hair, and his wrinkled clothes. But the expression on his face was... happy. "Well, Zack, it looks like I sent the right man to do the job. Hodgins is definitely no longer cranky."

"Ookay, then. I guess I'll just take this." Hodgins scooped the skull from Angela's desk. "And I'll be on my way." Hodgins then scurried from the room.

"I've got to give you props, Zack." Angela walked up to Zack. "I can't say I've ever had to compete for a guy with, well, another guy."

"I, uh, don't know what you mean." Zack said.

"You don't know what I mean about the 'props' or the fact that I know you and Hodgins have something going on?" Angela crossed her arms.

"I have to go. Hodgins might require help gathering particulates." Zack fled the room.

"Riight." Angela shook her head. This was going to be interesting.

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**_Please R&R. ;D If you like or if you don't. Frankly, I'm just in it for the reviews! LOL Although, it IS a bonus if someone likes it!!_**

**_(I've always thought that they haven't used Hodgins' character up to his full potential... TJ is SUCH an amazing actor!!! WHOOT!!!)_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**So I watched the 100th episode last night (I live in Canada, we see Bones on Wednesdays) and I have to say I now have faith in the writers once more. I won't spoil anything for you but the episode gives a LOT to its viewers. I am also STILL feeling a very intense emotion over it. I have seen it again on the internet and I will probably see it again tonight. Anyway, back to the story. **_

_**So Angela just realized that there is something going on between our dear Hodge-Podge and Zacharoni... read on fellow FanFictioniers. Read on.**_

_**Disclaimer: How can I even pretend to stake a claim in this show after seeing the 100th episode?**_

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Hodgins sat in the chair at his workstation, head bent intently over the skull that rested in front of him. He had a pair of forceps in his right hand. There was a piece of something lodged within a fracture of the skull. It was either plastic or metallic. Hodgins couldn't be sure what it was until he got the stupid thing out. It was important that Hodgins did not cause any damage to the skull. Dr. B had made that point very clear.

He took a breath in and slowly and inched the forceps closer to the skull. His hand was shaking slightly. Hodgins growled in frustration. If he wasn't so damn tired his hand wouldn't be shaking. Though, looking back on it, he still would have rather done what he had done the night before than actually sleep. He smirked at the memory. _Focus, Jack_, Hodgins brought his attention back to the skull.

Just as Hodgins was about to pull the object out of the skull, he could hear a set of footsteps approach his desk.

"What is it, Zack? I get the skull for as long as I need it. You're just gonna have to wait." Hodgins looked up briefly to see Zack shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"I realize that you have to work with the skull, however, Dr. Brennan will get angry with me for not examining it if you are not finished with it soon. I need to identify the murder weapon."

"And by identifying this -thing- lodged in the skull, your job will become much easier. You'll get it as soon as I can get this thing out of here. Whatever it is," He muttered under his breath. Hodgins hunched over the skull once more. He could still feel Zack hovering beside his desk. Hodgins was finding this to be rather distracting and the scent of Zack's aftershave that the man had put on that morning wasn't helping Hodgins' concentration either.

Hodgins sighed. "What is it Zack? I know that you're not only here because of the skull." He tried bringing the forceps to the skull once more.

"It's Angela. She knows. About us. " Zack took a breath. "She said, 'I can't say I've ever had to compete for a guy with another guy'."

Hodgins paused. The forceps were inches away from the skull's surface. "So? It was bound to happen. We weren't trying to hide anything. And like I've always said, Angela is too intuitive for her own good." Hodgins then, without faltering, removed the material from the fracture in the skull.

"I'm sure you have some apprehension about this. It will jeopardize not only your romantic relationship with Angela, but your work relationship as well." Zack took a step closer to Hodgins' desk.

"Look, Zack, I appreciate the concern," Hodgins placed the material in a dish, "but things between Angela and me haven't been going all that well lately. Mainly because I think she knows that something is up. Besides, Angela wouldn't let something like this affect work."

Zack met Hodgins' eyes. "I didn't tell her Hodgins, she found out."

Hodgins' swivelled in his chair to face his computer. "I'm gonna assume that the reaction on your face pretty much told her all she needed to know."

"Although I couldn't tell you what my face looked like at the time, I tried to be unclear in responding to her questions. I'm afraid it might not have worked."

"Zack, don't worry about it." Hodgins sighed stood up from his desk to place his hands on Zack's upper arms. "Angela's done some experimentation of her own. She's open minded and understanding. She'll be okay with this."

"I'm not good with relationships, Hodgins." Zack stated simply. "Both you and Angela are my friends. I wouldn't want us to ruin that."

Hodgins turned back to his desk and grabbed the platter that the skull was resting on. As he placed it in Zack's hands, he whispered into Zack's ear. "Which is why you are going to let me handle this. I will make this work, Zack. You have nothing to worry about." Hodgins' lips brushed against the base of Zack's ear. Zack shuddered at the contact.

Hodgins smirked at the reaction. "You'd better get to work on that skull."

Zack nodded mutely and started to walk toward his office.

"Chinese for lunch?" Hodgins called after him.

"I was thinking we should go for Egyptian," Zack threw back over his shoulder.

Hodgins grinned wryly to himself then sat back down at his desk.

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_**So? Please tell me what you think. I decided to write this chapter because of the overwhelming number of reviews I got!:D **_

_**If you want it, I'll try to make it happen!**_

_**(Oh, and I am SO willing to discuss the latest episode with anyone who wishes to!!! :D)**_


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